Firstly, let me apologize for my previous chapter. I'm sorry I put a NaLu moment for a bit. I hope my readers(the NaLi shippers) don't feel offended. I'm really really sorry. Here's a bonus chapter of NaLi(just a bit). I hope it'll make it even now. I am a NaLu supporter but that doesn't mean that I have to fight with those who're not of the same opinion, right?
Next is for Fanatic 909, thanks for the info! I checked back the manga and anime and it was really 'Hundred' and not 'Thousand'. Guess things are exaggerated from mouth to mouth, eh? Also, about Hibiki's smirk, I think he had done it in the Nirvana arc.(When he was posessed by Nirvana and heard the word 'Celestial mage', you can check it yourself.)
Okay, now let's go. The continuum!
Hiro Mashima-sensei owns Fairy Tail. I don't(except Reika and the plots).
She glances at the tables. No sign of any pink hair. She sighs. Mirajane looks at Lisanna with a weird look. "Why are you sighing?"
Lisanna lifts her head weakly. "Nothing." Mirajane smiles.
"How long have we been together? I know there's something bothering you right now...", she replies with full of motherly essence. Lisanna looks up to her. Her eyes are full of disdain.
Mirajane knows it. She knew it. Lisanna misses Natsu, her childhood friend. Mirajane forms a smile. "He is with Lucy, Happy and Reika now. There's no need to worry about him."
"I'm not worrying about him. I just missing him." -His grin, his pout, his childish voice, his carefree attitude...I have been missing it ever since I came back from Edolas. But what do I get when I come back? He has Lucy to hang out with now. I can only observe you from afar, for I am afraid I might disturb you if I approach. Just what is getting into me?-
Lisanna continues talking to herself without realizing that Mirajane never takes her eyes off her. She chuckles. "Ahh...Young love."
"You sounded like an old fart, Mira." Out of nowhere, Laxus appears at the bar. "One orange juice."
"Laxus," Mira smiles. "When did you get back from that mission?" Her hands skillfully takes three oranges in a fruit basket and stuffs them into a blender. She switches on the plug.
"When you are busy staring at your sister." He takes out his pointy earphones and puts them on his head.
"Oh...,"she giggles. "I'm actually observing a young woman in love." Her matchmaking mode has turned on. Laxus forms a 'you've-gotta-be-kidding-me' face. "Yep! That's right! And you know who that lucky guy is."
This time, his face turns to a 'cut-the-crap' expression. "I know Lisanna way better than you guys. She IS my sister, after all." She has smelled victory coming in the conversation.
"But the thing is, do Natsu even know what love is?" Laxus hit the jackpot. Mirajane freezes. That's right. She forgot to calculate that possibility too. Natsu is dense. And by that it means really DENSE. Heck he don't even know that men cannot be pregnant! (he had once claimed to outsiders that he impregnated Happy!)
FLASHBACK
Then he protested, "Why? Aren't all human beings are able to reproduce?"
RIIIGGHHHT. He'd been living with a dragon before. That's not something you can blame on. And about the 'reproducing' talk, "It's complicated", they replied.
END OF FLASHBACK
Mirajane gives out a long sigh. She can see the matchmaking process has been brought to a halt. Laxus chuckles. "You are stressing yourself, Mira. Relax. There's no need to rush things out. If they are meant to be, they'll work out eventually." He blurts out an advice. Mirajane handed him his orange juice.
"Now who's the one that sounded like an old fart?", she fires back.
*sparkles everywhere*
"Whew!", Reika wipes the sweat dangling on her forehead. "Finally, it's done."
She entangles the knot at her back and removes her apron, throwing at the coat hanger nearby. She throws her body onto the sofa and relaxes herself after cleaning her rented house for two hours. Natsu, who had just finished lifting pots here and there, also settles down beside her. Happy came after that and lands on Natsu's lap, wanting to sleep. Lucy walks out of the kitchen after putting the groceries in place.
"Reika", someone calls, "where do you want to hang this?"
Reika turns. She looks at the portrait. It is Marn's picture. "Just put it at the living room", she replies almost breathless. She is sooooo tired!
Gray moves to put the portrait at the ordered place. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's Gray. What's he doing here? Obviously, to help Reika. And fortunately, he is free from Juvia today. Juvia decides not to stalk at the moment because she got a job to do. Stalking Gray will not feed her if she was penniless.
Gray scans through the portrait to the very bit of details. -Who is this? Is he their father? He doesn't have any signs of pink hair if so, or pointy eyes. But the onyx orbs are so much alike. Well, guess their family's trademark is that.-, he thought. After putting the portrait at the desired place, he glances at Reika and Natsu at the couch. Both of them had already fallen asleep. Natsu is snoring loudly but Reika inhales and exhales softly while sleeping. One of the things to tell them apart. Gray chuckles.
All the while, Lucy perambulates to the small land provided outside.- She could use some farming during free time.-, she looks with awe. The hectare of soil is not that big but it's not small either. One may grow some vegetables here, to reduce the expense on daily life. Reika's so lucky. The monthly rent is just 80,000 Jewels. For a while there, she felt a pang of jealousy in her heart.
-No, I should be grateful of what I have now! My current house isn't that bad!-, she slaps both of her cheeks. Then she winces after feeling some pain striking in both her cute puffs. -Never knew I'm that strong.-
Hibiki knocks at the wooden door. His hands are full with cooking utensils and raw foods. Later, Eve and Ren came following him behind. The door opens, revealing Lucy and Natsu.
"Hibiki?", she is surprised, "what are you doing here?"
Hibiki lifts the bags of shopped groceries to show them to Lucy. "I want to celebrate Reika's successful day in finding her house." They are dressed in casual clothing, not like their usual outfits. Lucy's face lights up. "Come in."
Natsu has already jump with excitement at a corner of the living room. "Yay! Let's PARTY!"
While stepping into the kitchen, Lucy asks, "how do you know Reika's address?"
He gives her his famous smile. "I'm the one who recommended this house to her yesterday. By the way, my apartment is just a few steps from here." Lucy's eyes widen.
"Really?" She glares at Hibiki. "You don't have any bad intentions on her, do you?", she asks suspiciously. Her voice sounds venomous.
He chuckles. "Do you really think I would use cheap tricks to get her? Lucy, how long have you know me?"
She pulls back from her threats to Hibiki. "Not that I am doubting you, it's just that sometimes men are hard to be figured out."
"As much as women do", he counterattacks. They giggle at the truth.
"AAHHH! You guys have arrived!", she yells. Lucy and Gray cover their ears as the banging voice of Reika came suddenly. She had just woken up from her dreamless nap. Happy came flying happily(?) to the kitchen and wails, "FISHHHHH!"
"Here you go", Eve hands Happy a big raw fish. The feline's mouth starts to drool. "Hey cat!", Reika points out to Happy, "don't drop your saliva here. We've been through hell to clean this up before. Go and eat that creature at the dining table." Happy pouts. "Reika's a meanie~", he mocks her as he runs to the table. "You stray cat...", her forehead twitches as she watches Happy runs away. Her face turns grim. Lucy takes hold of her shoulder before she could kill the cat.
"Hi Reika", Eve comes running to Reika and hugs her. "Oh hey, it's you, Eve!"
Hibiki stands at the side with a creepy smile across his face, hoping Eve would see it. He's burning of jealousy right now. Luckily, Eve turns to him and then, smiles slyly. Reika is still oblivious to the situation. She regards Eve as a brother of a younger age, not a grown-up man. That's why she lets him in her embrace. Normal guys would have ended up being slammed down to the floor using her brute strength. Eve, on the other hand, enjoys to anger his beloved Hibiki nii-chan.
"Cut it out, you two", Ren interferes. "There's still plenty of work to do and you guys are playing here?"
Reika's face lit up. "Oh, Tan comes too?"
"It's REN! Since when did my name has changed to Tan?"
"It's easier to be remembered that way."
They sweatdrop.
"So what are you planning to cook?", she walks over to the kitchen table.
The party was supposedly to be a surprise party but after Natsu yelled "YAY! Let's party!" just now, they knew Reika would most probably found it out. Nevertheless, they still want to hold it up.
"We're just planning to do some barbecue dish," Eve replies. Ren pokes Eve's ribs using his elbows. "It was supposed to be a secret!", he whispers. "Oops, heheh", Eve laughs bashfully at his mistake.
Happy suddenly come flying to the kitchen while holding a magic camera. "Minna! Look here!", he proudly hold high the object in his paws.
Ren looks at the thing. "Oh, shit." He sprints to the flying feline to get a grab of the camera but fails. Before he could move a step, Happy has pushed the capture button and-
FLASH!
Happy flies away after successfully capturing the picture of the Trimen wearing aprons with flower decorations.
"What? You looked okay!", Lucy claims after looking at the picture. She is laughing nonchalantly. Eve sulks at the corner while Ren is fuming in front of her. "I don't care! Just please burn that thing. It's embarassing!"
They've just finished marinating the meats and now are waiting till night shows up for the party. Natsu is fighting with Gray outside with Happy cheering on them.
Lucy forms a wicked smile. "How about I show this to Sherry?"
Ren stuns. "No, don't, please...", he clasps his hands together, pleading to Lucy. "I'd die of shame." Lucy laughs seeing the tsundere cajoling in front of her.
After calming himself down, he realized something. "Where's Reika?"
Lucy answers, "She said she wanted to clean herself before the party." She faces Ren. "Why do you ask?" Ren blinks. "Bad."
She gives a confused look. "What's bad?"
"Hibiki said that he wanted to give something to Reika."
"So?"
Ren retorts, "He is going to meet her at her room."
Lucy forms a bemused smile. "Oooohhh...Something interesting is going to happen..."
"Interesting the hell?! I'm going to warn him!", he runs upstairs hastily.
Reika walks out of the bathroom while wiping her hair. Her body is wrapped with towel. She had dumped her used clothes in the bucket which she would send to the washing machine after this. Without looking anywhere else, she steps out to her room and stops in her track to see...Hibiki at the door, watching her.
In Hibiki's wandering thoughts, he scans her body without him knowing it. His eyes becomes autopilot!
-Wow...I never thought she would have an amazing figure. Maybe all that fighting had given her that well-toned curve. And, that...that...- he stares at her boobs and hips. -Hers are bigger than Karen's! She always wear that oversized jacket and loose jeans, I never knew she had this hidden.-
"You're finished?", she walks towards Hibiki when he was busy scanning her just now. Her tone doesn't sound that pleased.
Hibiki snaps back into the reality. He blushes furiously, thinking of his pervert thoughts that ran through his mind just now. He immediately apologize. "I'm sorry! REALLY REALLY sorry! I don't know you're taking your bath just now. I just wanted to give you this...", he hands her a silver pendant as he stutters his words.
Thinking that it was also her fault for just barging in without looking, she accepts his apologies. She wraps her torso with her jacket before taking the pendant in Hibiki's hand. "What's this for?"
After taking his breath and calming himself down, he states, "You know about my telepathy magic, right? This thing here helps to keep you in touch with me anytime. And by that I mean anytime. Got that?"
She shot him a confused stare, demanding an explanation. He sighs.
"You know", he places his hands on her shoulder, "I saw a naive child in your eyes, your behaviour, your retorts...You don't seem like an adult. I was always afraid if someone tries to take advantage on you. Like when you were at the store..."
The events from the store yesterday evening came rushing into her mind. He continues, "I know I can't always be by your side to protect you, so that's why I'm giving you this, hoping I can somewhat lend you a hand when you're in a pinch."
She locks her gaze to the shining pendant on her palm. Her memories came back as if they were being browsed through. Marn was always protecting her. The orphanage's staffs had always protected her. The townsfolks also did the same. And now, Hibiki...She feels she is loved by them. Although she's an orphan, she isn't alone. Her eyes becomes teary.
Hibiki is shocked to see her tears. -Please, don't cry...I don't want to see your tears.- He doesn't know why he has a soft spot for Reika. As if, something in his heart that late Karen wasn't able to give him long ago, she had filled it the moment they met. Once her tears dropped from the edge of her slanted eyes, he felt himself moving his arms to hug her, tightly.
Light sobbing is heard through her slight-agaped mouth. Hibiki found himself hugging her tighter every sobs he heard. Being in his arms somewhat makes Reika feels comfortable, different from the hug Eve gave back then. She feels so warm and safe...
"Ehem!", Ren clears his throat LOUDLY. He couldn't afford to restrain himself from throwing up when such a sappy scene happens in front of him. (Author: Heh...As if he doesn't do it when he's with Sherry.)
Hibiki and Reika break the hug. Her tears weren't as visible as before. She chuckles. "Sorry, don't see you there."
"How would you see me standing here when your face is at his chest all the time?", he mocks. Hibiki smiles despite the sharp tongue his friend sheathes. -Tch, damn Ren...I was having a good time.-
"Now, if you're finished let me know." With then, he walks away with a sly smile plastered on his face. As he walks towards downstairs, he could hear cursings from the room he had just visited.
The party is as boisterous as ever. Natsu roars here and Gray chilling out there. Happy is flying with his fish and the Trimen takes the chance to flirt with Lucy. Reika joins her twin in making noise in the party. Like what most people say, Party Hard : Fairy Tail Style.
While strolling back to their respective places, Hibiki tells something to Eve.
"Hey, Eve."
"What, Hibiki-san?"
"You hugged Reika back then, right?"
Eve folds his arms with overwhelming pride. "So?"
Hibiki smirks. "I got one too." Then, he walks into his apartment, leaving the speechless Eve behind.
Eve's folded arms entagles with shock.
Kyaa!XD I've always wanted to write fluffy scenes. This was my first try. So please review guys? I want to know how my writings in your point of view. And you can PM me too if there's any grammar mistakes(like always)... :)
The next chapter may be focusing more on Hibiki and his job. A fateful event had happened that day and ...Hehehe, wait till next chapter, guys!